The Legend of Korra: "The Last Stand"Review

Looking for our review of the first part of The Legend of Korra's series finale, "Day of the Colossus"? Click here.

Warning: Full spoilers from The Legend of Korra's two-part series finale follow.

Alright, tearbenders, get those tissues ready. This is it!

Spotlighting a core team made up of Korra, Mako, Bolin, Su and Lin, The Legend of Korra series finale kicked off with one last hurrah for Team Avatar. (It was a shame Asami couldn't join them, but what can you do when you're stuck in a parachute?) Naturally each character had a very important role to play inside the Colossus: Korra to fight Kuvira; Mako and Bolin to power down the engine; and Su and Lin...? Smash.

Not surprisingly, the Beifong sisters made quick work of the laser cannon, which was pretty much their last big fight scene. Short as it was, I liked how Lin was able to sneak in one last "Nice work" to her sister after Su destroyed the spirit vine canisters. Not a bad contribution for the pair.

On three, ready?

That said, they didn't come close to Mako's awesomeness in the engine room. Honestly, Mako was pretty sidelined in Book Four, acting as Wu's babysitter for most of it. But here, he earned back all his street cred by making a powerful and emotional sacrifice to destroy the engine himself. In addition to featuring some of the best lightning bending we've ever seen (at least since Zuko and Azula's Agni Kai in the original series), it also prompted a heartfelt brother-to-brother moment for Mako and Bolin. In fact, the moment was so poignant that, as I was watching, I was actually bracing myself for Mako to die -- and in a way it made perfect sense. He was the only one not to have a romantic interest, no set path -- but at the same time he was important enough that his death would actually mean something. Also, on top of that, what a way that would be to go.

Of course, the outcome here was much more safe. Instead of Mako dying for a noble cause, Bolin (inexplicably) showed back up to save him -- which was valiant! -- but it also felt like kind of a cheat after Mako had made the decision to stay and see the job done. Not that I wanted Mako to die, but I think his death would have been earned, especially considering his journey over the course of this series. Plus, with all the chaos going on in Republic City, it seemed like there would be at least one significant death to come out of it. (Sorry, Hiroshi.) Anyway, that was just a minor thing, and it didn't take away from Mako's overall awesomeness. ("I already know how awesome you are... You're awesome!)

Look up "awesome" in the dictionary and you'll find this picture.

The fight between Korra and Kuvira was also pretty epic, with Book Three's superhero-like fanfare making a reprise. Of course, that fight was just a distraction until the mecha suit was destroyed, at which point the heart of the conflict came to light. It was a nice touch having the rivals' "last stand" take place in the Spirit Wilds, where the cannon was left hanging in the vines. Here, we saw Korra's sense of compassion really come into play, as she stepped in front of the laser to save Kuvira from certain death. It was pretty cool how Korra's Avatar energy combined with Vaatu's laser beams to create a new spirit portal in the middle of Republic City. While not exactly a groundbreaking development (there are two other portals, after all), it did provide a calm and peaceful setting for Korra and Kuvira to hash out their differences.

It's been hinted throughout Book Four that Korra and Kuvira have a lot in common, and I liked how that idea tied into the Spirit World scenes, as Korra compared Kuvira's fears to her own. It made a lot of sense that Kuvira would go to such lengths to protect and serve her people after going through the hardships she'd faced as a child. But while her surrender at that point was understandable, I do kind of wish she'd stayed true to her convictions instead of admitting defeat. I certainly wasn't expecting her last words to be a meek apology to Su. Regardless, Kuvira's arrest was a fitting end to her reign of terror and the Earth Empire.

Avatar Korra FTW.

In terms of the battle as a whole, it was a little strange that it didn't come with any other surprises: no intervention from the Fire Nation or the spirits, no world-changing events, and no cameos from Zuko, Toph or Katara (even after the battle). That's not to say the finale needed any of those things, but for the Kuvira problem to resolve so cleanly, it was slightly -- just slightly -- underwhelming. That said, there was a certain elegance to the way it was executed, and it transitioned quite nicely into the epilogue.

And what an epilogue it was! Nothing quite like an extravagant wedding (with Bolin officiating!) to signal the last few minutes of a series finale. For instance, it was nice getting a few hints at what was in store for the Avatar world, like Raiko's plan to expand the city, and Wu getting rid of the Earth Kingdom monarchy altogether. I also really enjoyed Korra and Mako's "We've been through it all" moment, which ultimately made me glad Mako stuck around. ("I've got your back, and I always will.")

The second-to-last scene between Korra and Tenzin was another highlight for me. Going back to the theme of "Does the world really need an Avatar?" it was comforting to hear Korra say she still wanted to learn more, to continue her training and gain experience. It definitely left the door open for more stories and for Korra to extend her compassion to others. In a way, Tenzin's goal had always been to give the Avatar a thirst for knowledge and guidance, and that really showed I think in this final conversation between student and master.

Oh, the places you'll go...

As for the last last scene, well... HOLY KORRASAMI! They actually went for it! It's canon! I mean, yeah, sure, they didn't actually kiss, but the creators literally ended the show with them holding hands and staring longingly into each others' eyes... I'd say that's pretty irrefutable.

Honestly, I could probably write a whole other review just going over those last couple shots, but needless to say this was a bold move for co-creators Mike and Bryan. My hope is that fans will embrace their decision, especially since, in my opinion, they developed Asami and Korra's relationship in a convincing and compelling way -- not just in Books Three and Four, but the first two as well. Also, on a personal level, I kind of love the idea of Korrasami traveling the Spirit World together, at least until the world needs the Avatar again -- which, as we all know, is bound to happen eventually.

But what did you think of the Korrasami ending and the finale as a whole? Be sure to let us know what you thought in the comments!

The Verdict

There's so much more that could be said about The Legend of Korra's series finale, but the bottom line is, it was a great success! Filled with action, emotion and an ending I think fans will be talking about for a long time, "The Last Stand" did everything right in terms of bringing this amazing series to a close.

Max Nicholson is a writer for IGN, and he desperately seeks your approval. Show him some love by following @Max_Nicholson on Twitter, or MaxNicholson on IGN.